Drawer handle and latch



April 24, 1962 JEEVES DRAWER HANDLE AND LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1959 DRAWER HANDLE AND LATCH Filed March 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 24, 1962 A. e. JEEVES DRAWER HANDLE AND LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 20, 1959 United States This invention relates to a sliding drawer, shelf or other sliding structure, hereinafter referred to generally as a drawer.

Known retaining devices for positively holding sliding drawers of metal furniture in a closed position within an associated casing or cabinet, generally comprise several separate interacting parts and suffer from the'disadvantage that the release thereof for the opening of a drawer, requires manipulation of a control element such as a push knob or tab, involving a movement or action separate and distinct from that required to grip the drawer handle in the opening operation. Thus, the operation of such devices in the opening of a drawer, often presents difficulties to female workers. Moreover, the control elements are invariably positioned for use by right-handed operators so that the manipulation thereof can be a difficult or particularly inconvenient operation for a lefthanded person.

An object of the invention is to devise for a drawer or other sliding structure, a retaining device which is of improved construction and is adapted for convenient operation to obviate the foregoing disadvantage.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a retaining device for holding a drawer, or other sliding structure in a desired position relatively to an associated sup port, such as a casing or cabinet, said device comprising a latch or lever member displaceably mounted in said structure and adapted for releasable locking engagement with a stop on the support to hold the vstructure in said position, the latch or lever member having an' operating element forming part of, or disposed adjacent to and extending within the contour of, a handle fixed to the drawer so that, when the handle is gripped to move the drawer from said position, the operating element can, in the gripping action, be displaced together with the latch or lever member to disengage said member from said stop.

The invention also provides a drawer, arranged, or adapted to be arranged, for sliding movement into and from a closed position in a support such as a casing or cabinet, said structure being fitted with a handle for moving the drawer into an open position and being provided with a retaining device for holding the drawer in the closed position, said retaining device comprising a latch or lever member displaceably mounted in the drawer and adapted for releasable locking engagement with a stop provided on the support to hold the drawer in the closed position, the latch or lever member having an operating element forming part of the handle, or disposed adjacent to and extending within the contour of the handle so that, when the handle is gripped to move the drawer from the closed position into an open position, the operating element will, in the gripping action, be displaced together with the latch or lever member to disengage said member from the stop.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial front view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line IIII of FIGURE 1, and

atent Zinc;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken along the line III-III of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings, there is illustrated generally at 1 part of a filing cabinet formed of sheet metal and accommodating a number of sliding drawers arranged one above another, one of the drawers being shown generally at 2. Each drawer is formed of sheet metal and is provided at opposite sides with roller supports arranged to run along co-operating channels arranged within the cabinet, for free sliding movement of the drawer into and out of the cabinet. The roller supports and the cooperating channels may be of generally known form and such parts are not, therefore, shown in the drawings. The cabinet 1 has at opposite sides, upright wall members 3 between which there extend, at the front of the cabinet, transverse sheet metal partition members 4 spaced apart and parallel to each other to define the drawer openings. Each drawer has two opposite side walls 5 integral with a bottom wall 6 which latter is formed centrally with a longitudinal channel 7. The side and bottom walls extend rearwardly from a front wall indicated generally at 8 and having inner and outer panels 9 and 10 respectively secured together and arranged to define therebetween a relatively narrow cavity 11.

The drawer is fitted with a retaining device shown generally at 12 and comprising a single operating unit including a lever or latch member 13 mounted for vertical displacement in the cavity of the front wall 8, the latch member having a lower bent portion presenting a part 14- which projects rearwardly through an opening 15 formed "in the inner panel 9 of the front wall, and from the part 14 there depends a lower terminal part 16. The terminal part lfiprotrudes through a slot 17 cut in the base of the central channel 7 formed in the bottom of the drawer, the terminal part 16 protruding a sufiicient distance to permit its lower free end portion to engage a stop member 18 suitably positioned along the subjacent transverse member 4 of the cabinet. As shown in FIGURE 2, the stop member 18 has a forwardly directed inclined striking face 19 which, during the final closing movement of the drawer, is engaged by the end of the terminal part 1.6 to produce upward displacement of the latch memher, the striking face 19 merging into a rear abutment 20 behind which the terminal part 16 can engage upon downward movement of the latch member as the lower'end thereof clears the striking face upon movement of the drawer into its fully closed position. Thus, the latch and stop members cooperate to prevent partial opening of the drawer after closing, or to prevent rebound of the drawer at the time of closing. Each transverse partition member 4 is of generally box-like structure, the member having a substantially flat sheet metal upper wall 21 and a spaced lower wall 22 formed along its front edge with a recess 23 for the reception of the upper edge portion of the subjacent drawer 2. In the present embodiment, the stop member 18 is formed, as by swaging or pressing, integrally with the upper sheet metal wall 21 of the associated transverse partition member 4. It will be understood, however, that the stop member 1% may, if desired, be formed as an initially separate piece and secured as by screws or welding to the associated transverse member 4.

The release of the retaining device to permit opening of the drawer, the latch member 13 has secured to its front face, as by welding, a plate 24 which extends transversely of the latch member, the plate being formed with an upper portion 25 which is bent forwardly and projects through an aperture 26 formed in the front panel 10 of the drawer, the projecting portion 25 being arranged to constitute a finger plate by means of which the latch member 13 can be raised and disengaged from the stop member 18 when the drawer is to be opened. In the present embodiment, the upper end portion of the latch member 13 is bent to form a rearwardly offset part 27, and the plate 24 is provided along its lower edge with a forwardly offset part 28, these two offset parts 27 and 23 being adapted respectively to bear against the adjacent faces of the inner and outer panels 9 and 10 of the drawer, to maintain the operating unit substantially upright for free sliding movement in the cavity 11.

In the illustrated embodiment, the operating unit constituted by the latch member 13 and finger plate 24, is provided with spring means for normally urging the latch member downwardly into engagement with the stop member 18, the spring means including a tension spring 29 the upper end of which is connected to the latch member 13 and the lower end of which is connected to the bottom of the drawer. If desired, the spring means could be omitted in which case the operating unit constituted by the latch member and finger plate, would be so formed that the latch member would normally be urged downwardly by gravity for engagement of its terminal part 16 with the co-operating stop member.

The front wall 8 of the drawer carries a transversely extending handle 30 held in position by screws 31 which engage screw-threaded holes 32 formed in the handle adjacent the opposite ends thereof. The screw heads 33 are located in the cavity '11 of the front wall, the heads engaging the reduced ends of generally frusto-conical sheet metal spacer elements 34 secured between the inner and outer panels 9 and 16 of the front wall. The upper surface of the handle is curved outwardly and downwardly substantially, as shown in FIGURE 2, and merges into a downwardly and inwardly curved flange part 35 to define, within the handle, a hollow 36 into which the finger plate 25 projects. The finger plate is shaped to conform generally to the contour of the upper surface of the handle and is so arranged that, in the lower position of the latch member 13, the finger plate will be in substantial register with the free edge of the flange 35 of the handle. The finger plate thus forms, in effect, a relatively movable part of the handle, the arrangement being such that, when the handle is gripped by insertion of the fingers of one hand of the operator into the hollow 36 of the handle for engagement of the fingers behind the flange 35 to enable the drawer to be pulled forwardly, the plate 25 will be displaced upwardly by the fingers so that, in the single movement of gripping the handle, the latch member can be moved upwardly to disengage its lower terminal part 16 from the stop member 18, to permit the drawer to be opened. When the handle is released, after opening of the drawer, the latch member 13 moves downwardly under the action, in the present embodiment, of the spring 29, and the terminal part 16 thereby returned to its normal position, as shown for example, in FIGURE 2. Thus, when the drawer is again closed, the terminal part 16 rides up the inclined striking face of the stop member 18 and re-engages behind the abutment 26 to prevent rebound of the drawer and to hold the latter in its closed position. The formation and arrangement of the finger plate 25 are such that it becomes virtually impossible effectively to grip the handle, for the purpose of opening the drawer, without operating the retaining device to release the locking mechanism. Moreover, the arrangement is such that the device is suitable for operation by either the right hand or left hand, since, whichever hand is used to open the drawer, the fingers of that hand will be inserted into the hollow of the handle for engagement behind the flange .35 and the plate 25 thus displaced upwardly to release the locking mechanism.

In the aforedescribed embodiment, the latch member is operated by an element in the form of a flat finger plate which extends within the contour of a hollow handle. If desired, however, the handle could be in two parts comprising, for example, an upper part of solid construction fixed to the front wall of the drawer, and a lower part constituted by the finger plate, the plate being normally spaced below the upper part and adapted to be raised to release the locking mechanism, when the two parts are gripped to open the drawer. Moreover, both parts of the handle could be of solid construction, formed as by moulding or casting, and shaped externally to facilitate gripping by one hand of the operator, the upper part being appropriately recessed to enable the lower part to move upwardly when the two parts are gripped to open the drawer.

I claim:

1. A drawer comprising a body having a front wall, a composite handle provided on and projecting forwardly from said front wall, said composite handle comprising a hollow hand-grip element having a front flange part formed with a free edge spaced from said front wall and co-operating therewith to define a mouth which extends horizontally along the underside of said hand-grip element and opens upwardly into the hollow interior thereof, retaining means for releasably holding said drawer in a closed position within an associated support, said retaining means comprising a latch member displaceably mounted in said body and engageable with a stop provided on said support, and an operating member for moving and disengaging said latch member from said stop, said operating member being constituted by a plate normally located in the mouth of said hand-grip element in substantial register with said free edge to form an integral part of said composite handle and being displaceable by the fingers into the hollow interior of said hand-grip element to release the retaining means and permit the fingers to engage the underside of the hand-grip element to open the drawer whenever said handle is gripped to open the drawer.

2. A drawer comprising a body having a front wall, a composite handle provided on and projecting forwardly from said front wall, said composite handle comprising a hollow hand-grip element having an upper surface avhich is curved downwardly and forwardly from said front wall and having also a front flange part which is curved downwardly and rearwardly to present a free edge spaced from said front wall and co-operating therewith to define a month which extends horizontally along the underside of said hand-grip element and opens upwardly into the hollow interior thereof, the upper surface of said hand-grip element providing an external thumb-engaging face, and the front flange part providing within said element an interior concave finger-engaging face, said drawer further comprising retaining means for releasably holding the drawer in a closed position within an associated support, said retaining means including a latch member displaceably mounted in said body and engageable releasably with a stop provided on said support, and an operating member for moving and disengaging said latch member from said stop, said operating member comprising a plate having a part protruding forwardly through an elongated laterally-extending aperture in said front wall and located in substantial register with the free edge of said flange part to form an integral part of said composite handle, said plate being located normally in the mouth of said hand-grip element and displaceable upwardly into the hollow interior thereof to release the retaining means and to permit insertion of the fingers to engage said interior concave face and pull the drawer'open whenever said handle is gripped to open the drawer.

3. A drawer comprising a body having a front wall formed by inner and outer sheet metal panels spaced apart to define a cavity therebetween, a composite handle provided on and projecting forwardly from said outer panel, said composite handle comprising a hollow horizontal extending hand-grip element having a top part which slopes downwardly and forwardly from said front panel and merges into a front flange part, said front flange face and having a free edge spaced from and co-operat ing with said front panel to define a mouth which extends horizontally along the underside of said element and opens upwardly into the hollow interior thereof, retaining means for releasably holding said drawer in a closed position within an associated support, said retaining means comprising a latch member mounted for vertical displacement within the cavity of the front Wall, said latch member having at its lower end a terminal portion engageable with a stop provided on said support, and an operating member for moving said latch member to disengage the terminal portion thereof from said stop, said operating member comprising a plate secured to and extending transversely of said latch member and having along its upper edge a portion which is bent forwardly and extends through an elongated laterally-extending aperture formed in said outer panel for vertical displacement within the hollow interior of said handgrip element, spring means for urging the latch member downwardly into a normal stop engaging position to hold the drawer closed, in which position the forwardly bent portion of said plate is located in the mouth of said hollow element in substantial register with the free edge of the flange part of said element to form an integral part of said composite handle, said forwardly bent portion of said plate being displaceable upwardly by the fingers to permit the fingers to engage the interior concave horizontal finger-gripping surface of the hand grip and pull the drawer open when said composite handle is grasped to engage the fingers with said interior concave gripping surface, thereby automatically to release said retaining means upon gripping of the handle to open the'drawer.

4. A drawer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latch member is formed at its upper end with a rearwardly oifset part and the transverse plate is formed along its lower edge with a forwardly oifset part, the offset parts being disposed for sliding engagement with the adjacent faces of the inner and outer panels respectively of the front wall of the drawer.

5. A drawer comprising a body for sliding movement into and out of a support, a composite handle at the front of the drawer, said composite handle including a horizontally extending hollow hand-grip having an internal horizontally extending finger-gripping surface and a mouth defined by a lower horizontal marginal part of said hand grip and opening upwardly into the hollow interior of said hand-grip, said drawer further comprising retaining means for releasably holding the drawer in a closed position within said support, said retaining means including a latch member displaceably mounted in said body and engageable releasably with a stop provided on said support, and an operating member for moving and disengaging said latch member, from said stop, said operating member comprising a horizontal plate which is normally located in said'mouth below the finger-gripping surface and which forms an integral part of said composite handle, said plate being displaceable upwardly into the hollow interior of said hand-grip to release the retaining means automatically upon insertion of the fingers to engage said internal finger-gripping face whenever said handle is grasped to open the drawer, the upward displacement of said horizontal plate permitting the fingers to engage the internal finger-gripping surface of the hand grip and pull the drawer openr References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,223,455 Weiss Apr. 24, 1917 1,391,812 Weiss Sept. 27, 1921 2,033,806 Baker Mar. 10, 1936 2,330,403 Borchers Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 568,243 Canada Mar. 22, 1955 

